Tablet PC..Do you have one? What do you use it for?

[William Adams]

The HP Zbook X2 uses the latest generation of Wacom EMR which debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Book 10/12 --- 4096 pressure levels, tilt in supporting software --- it's almost as nice as a Cintiq. The reviews on it are excellent and the folks who have mentioned having one in forums I follow have all been thrilled with it (given the price, I'd hope so).

[Brian Elfert]

I have an iPad and a laptop. I have so rarely used the laptop as a mobile device since I bought it in 2011 that the battery gave out from being plugged in all the time. If you want to do real work I would consider a Windows 10 tablet. If you want a tablet as a media consumption device than either Android or iPad will do. I only use my iPad to browse the web on the bus for an hour each day while commuting. (Buses have WI-FI or I have hot spot on phone.)

I looked at both Android and iPad. Personally, I was not willing to look at any of the non brand name cheap Android tablets. That mainly left me with Samsung and Google for Android tablets. The main deciding factor was price. The Android tablets were higher priced than the $250 or $260 I paid for a new iPad from Costco before Christmas last year. (It also helps that I have an iPhone, but that was less a factor than price. I don't really share between tablet and phone.)

[Brian Elfert]

The HP Zbook X2 uses the latest generation of Wacom EMR which debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Book 10/12 --- 4096 pressure levels, tilt in supporting software --- it's almost as nice as a Cintiq. The reviews on it are excellent and the folks who have mentioned having one in forums I follow have all been thrilled with it (given the price, I'd hope so).

I doubt the OP is looking for anything quite as sophisticated (or as expensive!) as this unit. This HP unit is really targeted at a high end professional user.

[William Adams]

Yeah, that's why I said:

>The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is quite nice by all accounts, Android can work well if you can find apps which work well and meet all your needs.

[Brian Elfert]

Target has the iPad for just $250 this week.

[John Cole]

I have used my Kindle Fire HD for a number of years now and i wouldn't be without it. Use it to surf the net,youtube, email etc. Best part is they are cheap around $100.

[dennis thompson]

I have an IPad which is pretty old and slow so I now have 2 Fire 10's which I like a lot. I use them mostly for surfing the net, and email. The Fires were only $99.

[Chuck Wintle]

I have used my Kindle Fire HD for a number of years now and i wouldn't be without it. Use it to surf the net,youtube, email etc. Best part is they are cheap around $100.

So would you say this is a recommendation to buy the Kindle?

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I had a Microsoft Surface-2, 4 years ago. (lost in a fire) I loved it. It did come with "Office" installed when I bought it. I could use it for anything I use my lap top for. But it was far more portable and easier to carry. Easier to take on trips too. My phone worked as a portable hot spot, so I could link to the net anywhere I had a cell signal. A year ago, my Mrs. was in the hospital for a week and she quite bored after the first 6 hours, so I bought an Acer tablet with protective folder and keyboard for her. She and it were inseparable for a few months. She has a desk top with a large flat screen monitor and she prefers having the huge display, so she stopped using the tablet for a while. I like using a laptop for "office stuff" If I wanted to just sit in front of the boob tube and surf the net at the same time, I would use the tablet. The tablet takes great pictures. and when visiting relatives the tablet is easy to show photos with. We also have 4 smart TV's in the house. Not just streaming capable, but they can be used with a separate keyboard to cruise the net without a computer. It drives Mrs. Crazy, but I sometimes sit in the living room with the big screen and a keyboard surfing the web and typing to forums like this one. My phone can also be used to surf and then cast the site or video onto the TV. To think that I remember having a life before my family ever got a television. To which my daughter would ask, "Weren't the caves cold and damp too?" I must say though, I probably spend far more time seeking out information on line, than I do watching TV and movies.

[Myk Rian]

I use a Samsung 10" tablet to tell my telescope where to point.

[Jim Becker]

So would you say this is a recommendation to buy the Kindle?

The Kindle Fire is a nice general purpose tablet with a very attractive price for browsing, etc., but unless something has changed, there are limits on what apps you can use from the Google Play Store on the Amazon product. If that's not an issue for someone's needs, it's a good choice to consider for a low cost tablet.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I have an HP EliteBook (I believe it is model 1050) that is a good laptop, powerful enough for office tasks, some image handling with Photoshop and can be converted to a (Windows) tablet, including a precise pen. I would hate to have two different devices for so close similar tasks...

I prefer the tablet way when reading books (way better than my Kindles), taking notes (pen is a blessing) and sometimes to browse internet. I prefer the PC way when using office tools, Photoshop and other tools I have installed there.

[Lee DeRaud]

The Kindle Fire is a nice general purpose tablet with a very attractive price for browsing, etc., but unless something has changed, there are limits on what apps you can use from the Google Play Store on the Amazon product. If that's not an issue for someone's needs, it's a good choice to consider for a low cost tablet.

The impression I got is that it used to be a low-level kabuki dance to get Google Play Store installed, but that changed in 2017 or so. On my early-'18 model (5th generation?), it just required a couple of downloaded files to be installed...now it works more or less like my phone. The one thing I can't do is look up an app in the store on the computer and tell Google to send it to the Kindle: I have to be on the Kindle to order apps for it. It may just be some kind of device registration step that I missed.

Here's the how-to: https://www.howtogeek.com/232726/how...n-fire-tablet/

[Jim Becker]

'Glad to here it's "more possible" now, Lee. I'm all Apple, but occasionally try to help someone with Android devices including the Fire, so thanks for that reference.

[Tony Pisano]

I have a samsung galaxy model SM-T550. I previously saw no need for one and sat at my desktop. The reason I got the tablet was for selling. We had a table set up at Williams College to sell honey and candles before the holidays a few years back and we realized that most students don't write checks or carry cash. Since I have had a paypal account for years, I bought the tablet and a paypal card reader, and sales skyrocketed the next time out. This year I upgraded to a chip card reader. I do find it's too easy to be online on the comfort of the couch, by the pellet stove.